Mobile Telecommunications Company K.S.C.P. (doing business as Zain) is a Kuwaiti mobile telecommunications company founded in 1983 in Kuwait as MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Company), and later rebranded as Zain in 2007. Zain has a commercial presence in seven countries across the Middle East with 47.8 million active customers as of 30 June 2024. The Vice Chairman and Group CEO is Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, who was appointed in March 2017. As of 2024, the two major stakeholders are Kuwait Investment Authority with 15.9% and Omantel with 21.9%. The Zain brand is one of the recognized telecom brands across the MENA region, with a brand value of US$3 billion(2024).

Financial highlights

Zain is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. There are no restrictions on Zain shares as the company's capital is 100% free float and publicly traded. In Q2 2024, Zain Group generated consolidated revenue of KD 479 million (USD 1.6 billion), up 4% compared to Q2 2023. Normalized EBITDA grew 13% YoY to reach KD 178 million (USD 579 million), reflecting an EBITDA margin of 37%. Normalized net income growth soared 55% to reach KD 52 million (USD 170 million) reflecting an earnings per share of 12 fils. Normalized EBITDA and net income growth for Q2 2024 is arrived at by adjusting the number range claim in Q2 2023.

Operations

Zain has presence in a number of countries.

Presence in Africa (2005–2010)

From 2005 to 2010, Zain maintained a presence in a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to its core market in the MENA region. Zain entered Africa in May 2005 through the $3.4 billion purchase of Celtel International which had 13 country operations in Africa, serving five million customers at that time. Zain invested heavily across the continent through network upgrades and acquiring two more country licences. By June 2010, Zain had over 40 million customers across the continent, operating in Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In early 2010, Zain accepted an offer for the sale of all its Africa operations. On 8 June 2010, Zain announced that it had satisfied all required conditions precedent to closing of the sale of 100% of Zain Africa BV to Bharti Airtel Limited for $10.7 billion on an enterprise basis. Today, Zain operates on the African continent only in Sudan, South Sudan and Morocco.